Bow Tie Kreative Writing System
Run the engine

Rules / syntax

SYN-005 Context default layer: sentence

Put conditions before instructions

IF an instruction applies only under a condition, THEN state the condition before the imperative ELSE give the action directly.

Why the rule exists

Readers should know whether an action applies before they perform it.

Condition

The rule fires when this evaluates true. Paths marked below must be present in the fact base; the engine reports the rest rather than guessing them.

  • ALL
    • sentence.function eq "instruction"
    • sentence.condition exists

Facts this rule reads

PathSource
sentence.function Derived from text
sentence.condition You supply it

Then

  1. move — target sentence.condition
  2. label — target sentence.condition

Else

  1. retain — target current_text, No triggering condition is present.

Test cases

TST-006 · [object Object]

Before
Select Delete if you no longer need the file.
After
If you no longer need the file, select Delete.
Reason
The condition appears before the potentially destructive action.

LAKA

Smallest sufficient intervention
Yes
Primary axes

Sources

  • Google Developer Documentation Style Guide — Google link
    Clear, consistent, audience-directed technical documentation.
  • Making Content Usable for People with Cognitive and Learning Disabilities — W3C link
    Clear words, simple voice and tense, explicit instructions, and supportive structure.
  • Developing Quality Technical Information — Michelle Carey; Moira Lanyi; Deirdre Longo; et al.
    Quality dimensions for usable technical information.
The raw rule record

Verbatim from 09-syntax-and-sentence-rules.json. Also available at /v1/rules/SYN-005.

{
  "id": "SYN-005",
  "name": "Put conditions before instructions",
  "domain": "syntax",
  "layer": "sentence",
  "strength": "context_default",
  "human_logic": "IF an instruction applies only under a condition, THEN state the condition before the imperative ELSE give the action directly.",
  "when": {
    "all": [
      {
        "path": "sentence.function",
        "operator": "eq",
        "value": "instruction"
      },
      {
        "path": "sentence.condition",
        "operator": "exists"
      }
    ]
  },
  "then": [
    {
      "action": "move",
      "target": "sentence.condition",
      "destination": "before_instruction"
    },
    {
      "action": "label",
      "target": "sentence.condition",
      "when": "high_stakes",
      "prefix": "If"
    }
  ],
  "else": [
    {
      "action": "retain",
      "target": "current_text",
      "reason": "No triggering condition is present."
    }
  ],
  "unless": [],
  "because": "Readers should know whether an action applies before they perform it.",
  "diagnostics": [],
  "examples": {},
  "source_ids": [
    "WEB-003",
    "WEB-006",
    "BK-024"
  ],
  "laka": {
    "smallest_sufficient_intervention": true,
    "primary_axes": [
      "scope",
      "depth",
      "magnitude",
      "reversibility"
    ]
  }
}

Other syntax rules

  1. SYN-001 Complete clause for formal prose IF a unit is presented as a formal prose sentence AND lacks an independent clause, THEN attach it, complete it, or label it as a fragment ELSE retain. Hard constraint
  2. SYN-002 Separate fused independent clauses IF adjacent independent clauses have no valid boundary, THEN add a coordinator and punctuation, a semicolon, or a period ELSE retain. Hard constraint
  3. SYN-003 Prefer visible actor–action order IF the reader must act or identify responsibility AND no stronger reason favors passive voice, THEN place the actor before the action ELSE retain. Context default
  4. SYN-004 Use passive voice for a reason IF a clause is passive, THEN retain it only when the receiver is the topic, the actor is unknown or irrelevant, blame should be softened, or domain convention requires it ELSE convert to active. Context default
  5. SYN-006 One principal action per procedural step IF a step contains multiple independently verifiable actions, THEN split them into ordered steps ELSE retain a tightly coupled action. Context default
  6. SYN-007 Limit nested clauses for general audiences IF clause nesting exceeds two levels AND the audience is not expert-only, THEN split or promote a buried clause ELSE retain necessary complexity. Heuristic
  7. SYN-008 Given information before new information IF a sentence introduces new information before the anchor it depends on, THEN reorder from shared context to new contribution ELSE retain a deliberate surprise. Heuristic
  8. SYN-009 End-weight complex material IF a long complex phrase separates subject from verb OR delays the core relation, THEN move that weight later when meaning permits ELSE retain. Heuristic